Celebrity lookalike contests are having a resurgence - here's what's happened at each one

Finding a lookalike of your celebrity crush is the dream, right?

While it's always seemed far-fetched – you don't just see the average person walking down the street looking like Channing Tatum or Scarlett Johansson – it's starting to seem like it could be well within reach.

Lookalike contests for popular celebrities have had a resurgence lately, with thousands turning out to each event, whether they're competing or hoping to find a partner.

So, to find out more about the recent explosion of lookalike contests and what exactly it's like on the inside at these events, keep scrolling. 

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He's the internet boyfriend of the month, but it seems there are plenty of Paul Mescal dupes to go around.

The inaugural Paul Mescal lookalike competition was held in Smithfield, Dublin on November 7, 2024, the same place the Gladiator II premiere was set to happen later that day.

"I'm just here to see the patron saint of Ireland," one attendee told RTE Lifestyle.

"He's a true icon, we had to pay our respects.

"The turnout is crazy, I thought it would just be, like, me and a few women trying to see Paul Mescal," Jack Wall O'Reilly told RTE News at the event.

The lookalikes came out in droves, wearing Mescal's signature look – a neutral-coloured hoodie, a pair of sneakers, wired headphones, and of course, some tiny little shorts.

Wall O'Reilly quickly became the fan favourite after reciting an iconic line of Mescal's from his breakout show Normal People.

"You look really well," the lookalike said as the crowd erupted into applause. 

"I work nearby, thankfully. I might need to go back," another competitor told Hot Press.

"But I think once you've hit the heights of this, it's hard to go back to the day job you know," he joked.

"So this is going to be who I am now... a poor Paul Mescal impersonator."

While the other lookalikes put up a valiant fight, it was ultimately Wall O'Reilly (pictured here) who took home the crown, dubbed by attendees as "earbuds Paul."

And while many showed up to the event with hopes of catching a glimpse at the real-life Mescal, unfortunately, he didn't make an appearance.

Wall O'Reilly was presented with a giant cheque made out for "twenty euro or three pints."

He credited his win to having already won "the genetic Paul Mescal lottery," telling the Irish Independent, "I'm very proud, it's been a good buzz."

As he accepted his prize, Wall O'Reilly stood on the podium and thanked the fans for choosing him.

"I think there's a Paul Mescal in all of us," he said.

Later that night at the Gladiator II premiere, a fan asked the real-life Mescal if he'd heard of the event.

"I did, yeah," he said. "I mean, they got the spirit of it."

Back in 2016, The Graham Norton Show decided to pull a bit of a prank on some hardcore Adele fans.

They reached out to several impersonators and invited them to the studio to film the pilot of an episode that may or may not go ahead.

They were told it would be an Adele impersonation competition, but they weren't told there would be a special guest in attendance.

Wearing a prosthetic nose and chin, the real-life Adele went undercover as a Nanny named Jenny.

She decided to talk in a slow and calm voice, rather than her regular sharp and fast accent, and off she went to meet the other Adeles.

She stood backstage, unrecognised by her fellow impersonators, as they watched each other perform one by one.

As the other contestants chatted about how long they'd been working as an impersonator, anywhere from six months to five years, Adele chimed in saying she'd been doing it for four.

"I think she'd like him," one impersonator said backstage as another performed in grag.

"She would like him," another agreed as the real Adele nodded along in the background: "She really would, I think."

Then, finally, it was Adele's turn to take to the stage.

Backstage, she'd been telling her fellow impersonators how "sick" with nerves she was.

When she walked out and missed her cue to begin singing, prompting a production assistant to check on her, she asked if they could try "one more time."

"She was really nervous, apparently," one impersonator said to the rest in the audience. "She had to sit down."

Then, Adele began to sing. 

By the second line of Make You Feel My Love, the first Adele impersonator had caught on.

"You are joking me," she said as some of the others began to realise it was the real Adele standing in front of them.

Whispered bickering began to break out between those who believed it was the real-life Adele and those who thought it was just another impersonator with a killer voice.

But then, when Adele hit one of her iconic runs in the song, everyone immediately clicked on. 

Some of the impersonators began to cry as they realised what was happening.

"Now I'm getting teary," Norton said from backstage. "This is so lovely."

One of the impersonators, Katie Markham, wrote a blog post about the evening.

She shared that they were all invited up on stage to meet and chat with Adele for around 15 minutes. 

"Graham Norton then asked her if she wanted to have a sing song with us and she said she would love to," Markham wrote.

"We all gathered round and Adele kicked off with Make You Feel My Love acapella. We all then joined in and sang our hearts out.

"It was an amazing experience and something I will never forget."

Washington Square Park was home to a lookalike contest of another one of the internet's boyfriends in October 2024.

The Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest made worldwide news when around 10,000 people flocked to the iconic New York City location.

They came dressed as all forms of Chalamet, there was casual jeans and a tee Chalamets, Wonka Chalamets, Dune Chalamets, and even lookalikes dressed as specific magazine covers or photoshoots done by the 28-year-old actor.

Contestants had travelled from all over, some even catching flights to take part in the competition.

The lookalike contest quickly went viral on social media with fans shocked by just how many shared similarities with the beloved actor.

"I met a few other lookalikes and we stuck together amid the pandemonium," wrote contestant Reed Putnam for CNN.

"The NYPD issued a dispersal order and, at one point, an officer approached me and screamed that I needed to leave the park.

"I ignored him and moved away, but I saw another contestant get handcuffed and dragged out of the area."

The organisers of the competition later received a $500 fine for an "unpermitted costume contest," however it didn't seem to dampen the festivities.

Miles Mitchell, 21, took home the top prize of a cool $50.

He dressed as Chalamet from the film Wonka, really committing to the bit by handing out chocolates to those in attendance.

But that wasn't even the most exciting part of the event.

Fans were shocked when the real-life Chalamet appeared at the event.

It wasn't a bit planned by the organisers, either; Chalamet had simply gotten wind that his fellow skinny white boys with dark curly hair were gathering, and decided to join in on the festivities.

"When the real Timothée Chalamet made a surprise appearance, the energy intensified," wrote Putnam.

"He was gone in a flash, however, disappearing through the crowd and heading back to a car on the outskirts of the park.

"I think he knew things would have escalated if he'd stayed too long."